Reviewer Fran Lewis:
Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing
Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and
a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently. She is a member of
Who's Who of America's Teachersand Who's
Who of America's Executivesfrom Cambridge. In addition,
she is the author of three children's books and a fourth Alzheimer’s
book is Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s story
in honor of her mom. Fran
hopes to create more awareness for a cure of Alzheimer.She
was also the musical director for shows in her school and ran the
school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and
for several other sites. You can read some of my reviews on Ezine.com
and on ijustfinished under
the name Gabina.
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By Fran Lewis

Published on March 18, 2018

Author: Robert R. Riggs

Publisher: Global Harmony
Press

ISBN:
978-0999155943

Author: Robert R. Riggs

Publisher: Global Harmony
Press

ISBN:
978-0999155943

Sofia Perovskaya was a
female terrorist but she is just one of many who played a discerning
role in the creation of modern terrorism in the Russian Empire.
Entangled with many others in the late 19th century names like Vera
Zasulich who pulled the trigger on Russian terrorism shooting at
Genearl governor Fedor Trepov and Sofia Perovskaia who mastermind the
assassination of Tsar Alexander II, on March 1, 1881. This book
focuses on how she and many others created forums for women to voice
their political views, malcontent and more. Females were not regarded
in the same way as males and Sofia was the daughter or Lev Perovsky
who was the governor genearl of St. Petersburg and his wife had four
children but he often berated her and belittled her in public when
things in his job or the Ministry of Internal Affairs went arwy. Her
father was arrogant, angered easily and he spent much of his time
playing cards, drinking and cheating on his wife. Lev was arrogant
and often caused the yelling scenes at home. His wife Varvara was
plain and did not appear to be flashy at social occasions. Sophia and
her sister Marya learned French and but Sophia was attached to her
mother and could not deal with her father’s outrageous attitude
towards her mother.

This is a complex story
with many layers as Pervoskaya enrolled in the Alarchin Women’s
College and then joined a circle of women along with Anna Korba which
started the rise to her developing revolutionary ideas. Secret
societies were the norm and the Land and Liberty was one that she
joined led by Mark Natanson who required that the Russian Empire
should be disolved. As you read this complex and well researched book
you begin to hear the voice of so many of those that became part of
the many terrorist groups and you can feel their passion, their ire,
and their need to overthrow those that opposed them. Sofia’s voice
is the strongest and you begin to think that she has multiple
personalities when dealing with different groups of people. At times
she is compassionate and at other times distant, aloof and dangerous.

Complaints about Alexander
ran the gamit and many thought that when he signed pardons and
commuatations for the remaining Devembrists exiled in Sibera that
that was a good first start. More students were allowed to puruse
highter education and the entrance into the Russian system, under
Nicholas had been restricted to privledged sons of the nobility.
However, there was a very small percentage of students in the
Generation of the Sixties that would forge ahead in another way. They
were drawn into the idea of revolution rather than evolution. These
“revolutionaries,” would eventually evolve. If you read page 30
you will learn the highlights of the new emancipation law that
included many points that some liked and angered others. Chapter 3
introduces the Prophet of Anarachism, Mikhail Bakhunin who while
Alexander wanted to try and reform the institutions of government in
Russian, this man was busy advocating the abolition of all
government, You can learn more when you read about him. Some thought
that two-thirds of the land should be transferred or given to the
peasants. In this way it would be created ina manner that they
for self-governing and organized communes.

Women terrorists were born
at this time and Sofia met with Elizabeth Kovalskai, whose manly
appearance and outfit seemed like a uniform. Sofia was tough and did
not get along with her father who dictated the rules and insisted on
certain behaviors. She spend much of her childhood on her mother’s
estate in the Crimea.

At times Sofia getl a vast
disconnect between her visions and reality. Land and Liberty split
and became People’s Will under Nardonaya Volya and Black Repartiton
created by George Plekhanov. The first favored terroism and the
second were against it. They suppored socialist propaganda. From the
title and main thrust of the book you know that the goal was to
assassinate Alexander II and that was the goal of People’s Will.
Vera Zasulich shot Trepov as the first of many attacks to follow. A
directive committee with Sofia, Andrei Zhelyabov, Timofei Mikhailov,
Lev Tikhomirov, Vera Figner and others was formed Andrei was thought
to lead them but Vera thought him to be lacking in depth. She thought
he was too optimistic and about hope and light. But his magnetic
personality strengthened his mantra of Hope and Light. He and Sofia
tried and failed to use nitroglycerine to destroy the Tsar train.
But, they miscaluculated. She was relentless and would not give up.
Another attempt the author describes was to blow up Kamenny Bridge in
St. Petersburg because Alexander was passing over the bridge but it
failed.

Sofia fell for Zhelyavov.
They worked closely together and the realization that terror was the
first stage in the political struggle. Tikhomirov valued her
character and her intelligence. Khalturin approached Plekhanov about
killing Tsar Alexaner II. The rejected the thought and told him to
contack People’s Will. He agreeded that Khalturn should try to kill
him and dynamite was supplied but the attempt failed. The plot was
set, the players in place and around 2:15 Sofoa gave the signal as
the Tsar’s entourage arrived at the end if Inzhenernaya Cnal. But,
it never came off. Alexander wanted to go see the crateer where the
bomb that failed exploded. The end result was devasating and she
completed her mission. While Alexander was standing with the wounder
Cossacks andother terrorist named Grinevitski threw his bomb
instantly killing him. As you look at her pictures throughout the
book you can feel the coldness in her heart, face and her passion for
terror. Sofia, Vera, Gigroy, Mikhail and others.